Seal cap



Dec. 1; 1936. s, RHEEM 2,062,796 6 SEAL' GAP 7 Filed Oct. 24, 1954 I NVEN TOR. Ric/lard 5. ,e/ieem 9 74 EL W. 7 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1936SEAL CAP Richard s. Rhecm, Oakland, Calif., assignor to RheemManufacturing Company, Richmond, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication October 24, 1934, Serial No. 249,736

6 Claims.

The invention relates to the type of cap designed for use in closing orguarding an inlet or outlet opening in a receptacle whereby access tosuch opening by an unauthorized person is prevented or at least if suchaccess has been obtained or attempted, indication thereof will bereadily apparent. v

An object of the invention is to provide a cap of the characterdescribed, which may be applied to the receptacle with extreme readinesswithout requiring the use of a tool of any kind.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connection means betweenthe cap and re'ceptacle, which will insure the firm and secure retentionof the cap in operative position on the receptacle, yet will permit theremoval of the cap with comparative readiness when requiredbut under nocircumstances without entailing a visible mutilation of the cap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of thecharactendescribed, in which the removal of the cap from the receptacleeither surreptitiously or otherwise, will not serve to damage theconnection portion associated with the receptacle or interfere with thereplacement of new caps.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means of thecharacter described which lends itself with little or no modification,for use with a receptacle opening with or without a fitting for athreaded bung plug or the like.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will beset forth in the following descriptionof the preferredform of the invention which is illustrated in thedrawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to beunderstood, however, that variations in the showing made by the saiddrawing and description,

portions of the cap and receptacle, showing the cap removed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to. Figure-2, but showing the cap operativelyapplied.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the parts as shownin Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the cap and connection used with areceptacle opening provided with a hung plug fitting.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similarto Figure 5 but showing a somewhatmodified form of the receptacle connection.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, thecap 2 is arranged for use in connection with a receptacle wall 3 havingan opening 4, access to which is to be guarded by the cap. The openingmay or may not be 10 arranged for closure by a means separate of or inassociation with the cap. In Figures 1 to 4, the opening is shownwithout the provision of any auxiliary closure means, while in Figure 5a bung fitting 6 is provided in the opening and arranged for engagementby a threaded bung plug I.

For permitting the cap to be attached to the receptacle .wall inoperative position over the opening, there is designed to be provided onthe outer side of the wall so as to surround the opening, an annularflange 8 having a central opening 9 in registration with 'the receptacleopening 4. The flange may be formed as an integral part of thereceptacle wall or as here shown, as a separate member having a portionl2 welded or otherwise secured to the wall around the opening. Extendingoutwardly from portion l2 and axially of the opening 4, is a neckorcollar l3 of the flange, having formed in its outer periphery anannular groove 1 4. Within this groove "is engaged a resilient splitring I6 and so arranged that normally the outer portion thereof willprotrude from the groove and the split ends will be spaced apart. Theside faces "and I8 of the ring are preferably afforded an easy slidinglit with the opposing sides 19 and 20 of the groove so as to permit whennecessary the ready expansion and contraction of the ring in the groovewithoutunduelooseness.

The cap 2 is formed with a circumferential side wall 22 having along thefree edge thereof an inturned rim or bead 23. During the application ofthe cap to the flange the bead forces,- the ring to contract and whenadvanced there beyond becomes locked in back of the ring on thesubsequent expansion thereof. The bead, as will be noted, is curved orotherwise formed in transverse section so that in advancing the headover the flange the ring will be easily forced inwardly. At the sametime, it will be seen that the free edge of the bead lies suflicientlyoutwardly to cause said edge to engage inwardly of the outer edge of thering when the bead is back of the ring.- Preferably the exposed side ofthe flange portion 12 isrecessed to provide a seat 24 for the bead andto more effectively prevent the insertion of any tool under the beadwhen the cap is operatively disposed. It will be noted that theengagement of the bead'in the seat serves to hold the cap againsttransverse looseness on the receptacle, and in order that the cap willbe firmly held against appreciable axial looseness, the head is designedto rest in the seat with a definite but relatively small clearance withthe ring. Also the bead is so positioned with respect to the end wall 26of the cap that the latter will be caused to substantially engage theadjacent end of the flange when the bead engages the back of the ring.

It is important to note that when the cap is in operative position onthe flange, a relatively wide annular space prevails between the sidewall of the cap and the outer periphery ofthe ring. By reason of this,any substantial effort to effect a contraction of the ring by pressingthe sides of the cap inwardly will result in a decided deformation ofthe cap and therefore the tampering with the cap, be the, attemptsuccessful or unsuccessful, will be readily noticeable on subsequentinspection of the cap. In this connection it may be stated that the capis desirably formed of relatively thin shet metal having very littleresilience and easily deformable. It will thus be clear that the meansof my invention insures a perfect locking of the cap to the receptaclecompletely around the opening and that at no point may the cap beappreciably tampered with, without such tampering being readily evident.

Like in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, a form of the inventionin which the cap 2 supplements an independent closure for the receptacleopening, is shown in Figure 6. However, in the latter arrangement thesupplemental closure means is formed as a structural unit with flangemember to which the cap is arranged to be secured. As shown in thedrawing, the flange member 3| for the cap is formed integrally with thebushing 32 which is threaded for the reception of the closure plug-34.This form of the invention has the advantage or requiring for bothclosure devices but one means of the connection to the receptacle wall,.the unit being held in place by annular opposing portions 36 and 31pressed against and confining therebetween the receptacle wallsurrounding the opening.

' I claim:

1. A closure guard for an opening in a receptacle wall, comprising anannular flange extending around said opening and outwardly from saidwall, a resilient contractible split ring carried by and surroundingsaid flange and held thereon against axially outward displacement, a caparranged to flt over said flange provided with side walls-designed tolie spacedfrom said ring when the cap is fltted over the flange, andmeans on the cap arranged to compress said ring when the cap is appliedto the flange and to become locked behind said ring when the cap isoperatively positioned on the flange.

2. A closure guard for an opening in a receptacle wall, comprising aflange extending around said opening and having an annular seat, aresilient split'ring mounted in said seat to permit contraction andexpansion thereof and held in said seat against removal axially of theflange,

a cap having a side wall arranged to enclose said flange and ring, andmeans extending from said cap wall operative during the application ofthe cap to the flange for successively compressing and releasing saidring whereby said means will be trapped behind said ring and the capwill be locked to the flange. v

v 3. A closure for an opening in a receptacle wall, comprising a flangeextending around said opening and having an annular groove in the outerperiphery thereof, a normally expanded resilient split ring mounted insaid groove to afford contraction thereof in the groove and having aportion extending. from said groove in normal position, a cap arrangedto enclose said flange with side walls spaced outwardly from said ring,and means comprising an annular inward extension of the side walls ofsaid cap arranged in the application of the cap to said flange tosuccessively compress and release said ring whereby the latter will betrapped behind the ring.

4. A closure guard for an opening in a receptacle wall, a flangeextending around said opening and having an annular seat, a normallyexpanded resilient split ring held in said seat against axial removaland arranged to contract therein,

said ring having its outer portion extending from said groove, a caparranged to completely enclose said flange and having side walls spacedfrom said ring when normally positioned, and

means on said cap comprising an annular bead extending inwardly from theedge of said side walls, the inner diameter of said head being less thanthe outer diameter of said ring whereby on the application of the cap tothe flange the head will successively compress said ring and engage inthe back thereof. v

5. A closure guard for an opening in a receptacle wall comprising, aflange extending around said opening and providing an annular seat onthe periphery thereof, a resilient split ring radially slidable and heldin said seat against axial removal therefrom, said ring having its outerportion normally protruding from said groove, a

cap having an end wall arranged to extend .across said opening andhaving side walls arranged to enclose the sides of said flange intransversely spaced relation to said ring, an annular portion extendinginwardly from said side walls having its inner portion 'of smallerdiameter than the outer diameter of said ring whereby on the application'of said cap to said flange said cap portion will successively compresssaid ring and enter therebehind to thereby lock said cap against removalfrom the flange, and means defining an annular collar for covering thelower outer portion of the cap when said ring engaging portion of thecap is engaged behind the ring.

6. A closure for an opening in a receptacle wall, a unit provided withan internally threaded bushing portion in said opening and an outerportion surrounding said opening on one side of said wall, said portionscooperating to confine the receptacle wall therebetween, a threadedclosure plug for said bushing portion, said outer portion having on itsperiphery an annular seat, resilient split ring in said groove normallyhaving its outer portion projecting from said seat, a cap having an endwall arranged to enclose the outer end and sides of said outer portionand with unit.

RICHARD S. RHEEM.

